Polish campaign ad seen as anti-Semitic

A right-wing Polish political party is running a campaign advertisment that some suggest is anti-Semitic.

The television ad from the League of Polish Families’ indicates that Poland has sent soldiers to Iraq to serve Jewish and U.S. interests, The Associated Press reported.

Poland is holding general elections Sunday.

The ad shows Polish President Lech Kaczynski meeting with President Bush and then at the Western Wall with Orthodox Jews. The ad states: “Our allies. They put us in the line of attack. “

The head of the party defended the ad, saying it was not anti-Semitic but only critical of the cooperation between Poland and Israel.

“One can be against the war in Iraq without being an anti-Semite,” Roman Giertych said at a news conference.

Jacek Kurski, a lawmaker with the governing Law and Justice party, slammed it as “a pathetic masquerade” that was “seasoned with some anti-Semitism.” Poland’s Stop War movement, which opposes Polish involvement in Iraq, distanced itself from the ad and said it has “strong anti-Semitic connotations.”